The powerful pull of brain images

Abstract

Recent advances in neuroimaging, especially those springing from the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, have produced a large body of knowledge that is beginning to weaken the attitude of rejection upheld by many developmental and social psychologist against biologistic approaches to human development. Findings in the area of neuroscience have contributed to a better understanding of developmental phenomena such as self-regulation, aggression or empathy. But despite the promising, new avenues of research opened up by neuroimaging techniques, some criticisms have recently arisen that should be considered regarding the reliability of these techniques. In the near future the convergence of neuroscience, genetics and classic methods which have proved their usefulness in the study of human behaviour, promises a better understanding of human development.

Diseños de observación longitudinales: cambio intra-individual y diferencias inter-individuales observados durante la infancia

“…These new techniques have made a particularly important contribution to our understanding of cognitive development as they allow complex brain-mind relationships to be broken down into multiple levels of analysis. Despite their many advantages, however, these techniques also have limitations and risks (Gómez, 2010;Oliva, 2010).…”

“…In short, studies of human behavior need to take an interdisciplinary focus consisting of multiple levels of analysis (Forstmann, Wagenmakers, Eichele, Brown & Serences, 2011;Oliva, 2010;Rueda, 2010), because, as stated by Gottlieb (2011), it is the interaction between elements rather than the elements themselves that gives rise to development. The merging of efforts across disciplines, including not only developmental psychology and neuroscience but also developmental psychopathology, pediatrics, neuropediatrics, neurobiology, genetics, etc.…”